Methods and devices for dynamic menu update

• US 8,364,145 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Jheng, Yu-Syuan Conan
• Primary Examiner(s): BALAOING, ARIEL A
• Application Number:
  US11/971,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20090178005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 455/434, 455/435.1, 455/440, 455/414.1, 715/825
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A method for altering man machine interface (MMI) configurations for use in a device is provided. The method comprises the following steps. A status of a service is queried after detecting that an inspection condition is satisfied. The queried status is acquired from the currently associated network. A menu item of a service menu is enabled when the queried status indicates that the service is available. Otherwise, the menu item of the service menu is disabled or the menu item is removed from the service menu when the queried status indicates that the service is unavailable, preventing a user from requesting the service via the menu item.

Claims

1. A method for altering man machine interface (MMI) configurations for use in a device, comprising:

determining whether a first location information received from a first cell broadcast system resident on a currently associated network is different from a second location information stored in a volatile or non-volatile storage device, or whether a first network information received from the first cell broadcast system resident on the currently associated network is different from a second network information stored in the volatile or non-volatile storage device, wherein the first location information indicates a geographic area where the first cell broadcast system situates, the first network information indicates a first network operator providing communication services of the currently associated network, the second location information or the second network information is received from a second cell broadcast system resident on a previously associated network, the second location information indicates a geographic area where the second cell broadcast system situates, and the second network information indicates a second network operator providing communication services of the previously associated network;

querying a status of a supplementary service (SS by issuing a supplementary service (SS) interrogation request to a currently associated network when the first location information is different from the second location information or the first network information is different from the second network information, wherein the SS modifies or supplements a basic telecommunication service;

acquiring the queried status carried by a SS interrogation response from the currently associated network;

enabling a menu item of a service menu when the queried status indicates that the service is available; and

disabling the menu item of the service menu or removing the menu item from the service menu when the queried status indicates that the service is unavailable, preventing a user from requesting the service via the menu item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second location information comprises a location area identity (LAI), and the first or second network information comprises a Public-Land-Mobile-Network (PLMN) code, and the determining step further comprises:

listening to a control channel provided by the first cell broadcast system, and receiving the first location information or the first system information from the control channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying step further comprises:

querying the status of the service when disconnecting from a wireless telephony network and switchingly associating with a wireless network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless telephony network is the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network and the wireless network is the Wi-Fi network.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the request is a session initiation protocol (SIP) method “

OPTIONS”

issuing to a SIP server, the queried status is returned in a “

Supported”

header field of a return message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying step further comprising:

querying the status of the service when disconnecting from a wireless network and switchingly associating with a wireless telephony network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless telephony network is the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network and the wireless network is the Wi-Fi network.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the request is a supplementary service (SS) interrogation request, the queried status is carried by a SS interrogation response from the currently associated network, and the SS request modifies or supplements a basic telecommunication service provided by the currently associated network.

9. A device, comprising:

a storage device, storing man-machine interface (MMI) configurations; and

a processing unit, querying a status of a supplementary service (SS) by issuing a supplementary service (SS) interrogation request to a currently associated network after detecting that a first location information is different from a second location information or a first network information is different from a second network information, wherein the SS modifies or supplements a basic telecommunication service, acquiring the queried status carried by a SS interrogation response from the currently associated network, enabling a menu item of a service menu by altering the stored MMI configurations when the queried status indicates that the service is available, disabling the menu item of the service menu or removing the menu item from the service menu by altering the stored MMI configurations when the queried status indicates that the service is unavailable, preventing a user from requesting the service via the menu item, and directing a display unit to display the menu item of the service menu according to the altered MMI configurations,

wherein the first location information is received from a first cell broadcast system resident on a currently associated network, and indicates a geographic area where the first cell broadcast system situates, the second location information is stored in a volatile or non-volatile storage device, and indicates a geographic area where the second cell broadcast system resident on a previously associated network situates, the first network information is received from the first cell broadcast system resident on the currently associated network, and indicates a first network operator providing communication services of the currently associated network, and the second network information is stored in the volatile or non-volatile storage device, and indicates a second network operator providing communication services of the previously associated network.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a baseband unit, wherein the first or second location information comprises a location area identity (LAI), the first or second network information comprises a Public-Land-Mobile-Network (PLMN) code, and the processing unit listens to a control channel provided by the first cell broadcast system, and receives the first location information or the first system information from the control channel via the baseband unit.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the processing unit stores service information comprising the SS with the queried status for indicating whether the SS is supported by the currently associated network.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the MMI configurations further comprises the menu item with a display property for indicating whether the menu item is enabled, disabled or removed.